KATHMANDU, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said that up to 10 million children in South Asia are affected by HIV/AIDS, The Himalayan Times reported Tuesday.

    UNICEF said, however, that only a tiny proportion of them are actually HIV positive while the vast majority are at high risk because they either have a parent living with HIV or have been orphaned by the virus.

    This was revealed by the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at a meeting of the representatives from the SAARC countries here, according to the daily.

    The participants of the two-day regional consultation on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS will review the situation of children affected by HIV/AIDS in the region.

    They will also work towards facilitating a common strategic approach to guide policies and actions to protect the HIV/AIDS affected children.

    Mohammad Naseer, director of the social affairs of SAARC, was quoted by the daily as saying the devastating consequences of HIV/AIDS is increasing the number of orphaned children, who are left vulnerable by diseases and death of family members. Such children need immediate concern to lessen the risk.

    "It is never late to act. The time has come to put children at the center of the debate," he said.